Up to 50 fires a week are being started in prisons with 2,600 incidents last year
Two of Britain’s privately-run jails had the worst record, with almost 200 fires between them
UP to 50 fires a week are being started in prisons, new government figures reveal.
There were 2,600 incidents last year, double the number of fires two years previously.
Two of Britain’s privately-run jails had the worst record, with almost 200 fires between them.
Thamesmead Prison in London, run by Serco, had 101 fires last year - more than any other jail in England and Wales.
And HMP Birmingham, scene of major riots which caused £2 million worth of damage last December, had 82 fires or one every four days.
Nottingham prison recorded 78 fires, followed by Doncaster jail which had 75 incidents and Swaleside which had 73.
The number of prison fires between 2005 and 2013 remained steady at between 900 and 1,100 each year.
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But in 2014 this increased to 1,236 and in 2015 there were 1,935 blazes.
The Ministry of Justice said that some of the forces were caused by accidents as well as inmates.
The figures come from a Commons question by Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, who said: “The number of fires in our prisons is extremely concerning, raising questions of safety for both inmates and prison staff.
Prison staff have faced years of cuts.
“The government must now make sure that there are enough staff to maintain control of our prisons and ensure that the safety of both staff and inmates is not put at risk. The fact that the number of incidents is on the rise shows the need for urgent action.”
Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah said: “We will never compromise on the safety of those in our care, and staff are trained to respond to emergency situations in a timely, appropriate manner.”